Government News in Brief Japanese Emperor’s 82nd birthday marked in Hanoi   Japanese Emperor Akihito. A ceremony to mark the Japanese Emperor’s 82nd birthday was held by the Japanese Embassy in Vietnam on December 8. The event was attended by National Assembly Vice Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, Minister of Transport and President of the Vietnam-Japan Friendship Association Dinh La Thang, President of Japan’s House of Councilors Yamazaki Masaaki and a line-up of Japanese people living and working in Vietnam. Speaking at the ceremony, Japanese Ambassador Hiroshi Fukada spoke about significant events in Vietnam-Japan relations from the outset of 2015. He underscored that Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong’s official visit to Japan in September has brought bilateral relations to a new height in the deep strategic partnership for peace and prosperity in Asia. Meanwhile, President of Japan’s House of Councillors Yamazaki Masaaki expressed his delight over the sound collaboration between Vietnam and Japan in multi-faceted fields. For his part, President of the Vietnam-Japan Friendship Association Dinh La Thang extended a birthday greeting to Japanese Emperor Akihito. He said he believed that the two Governments and peoples will continue cooperating in order to bolster comprehensive strategic relations. On the occasion, Japanese cuisine, products and services were introduced at the “All Japan!” booth. With support from the Japanese Business Association in Vietnam, more than 10 Japanese enterprises and localities popularised Japanese glamour to Vietnamese visitors. St Petersburg seeks closer business ties St Petersburg and HCM City are expected to be pioneer cities in co-operation between the business communities of the two countries, Georgy Poltavchenko, governor of the Russian city, told a seminar in HCM City yesterday. St Petersburg officials listed promising industries for tie-ups like pharmaceuticals and tourism and called for investment by HCM City-based companies. Le Van Khoa, director of the HCM City Department of Industry and Trade, said the two countries had accomplished much in the spheres of politics, economy, culture, and tourism in 10 years since forming a strategic partnership and three years of a comprehensive strategic partnership. But the economic achievements are not commensurate with the potential, he said. Trade between the two cities was worth US$226.24 million last year. Japan steps up health, labour cooperation with Vietnam Japan wishes to enhance cooperation in health care and labour with Vietnam, Japanese Health, Labour and Welfare Minister Yasuhisa Shiozaki said during a working session with Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Nguyen Quoc Cuong in Tokyo on December 7. At the meeting, host and guest discussed measures to bolster future cooperation in these fields based on a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the two countries’ health sectors in March 2014. Under the MoU, the two sides will work together in some prioritised issues such as all-people health care, aging population, prevention and management of new contagious diseases and medical equipment, among others. Japan is willing to share experience with Vietnam in training nutrition experts, the Japanese minister said, adding that over the past decades, the country has paid much attention to ensuring nutrition sufficiency for Japanese residents to increase labour productivity. Regarding labour cooperation, Shiozaki said that the Japanese government is considering to extend internship and working duration for Vietnamese interns and workers, given that a line-up of enterprises want to receive additional labourers from Vietnam. He affirmed that his Government will give further support in vocational training to Vietnam while asking the Southeast Asian country to make meticulous preparations for apprentices and workers selected to work in Japan in the coming time. For his part, Ambassador Cuong assured that the Vietnamese Government, partners and businesses will expedite cooperation with Japan in the fields, bringing benefits to both nations. According to statistics from Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun, among 2.17 million foreigners studying and working in Japan (for a duration of three months and more), 124,800 come from Vietnam. Hanoi voters interested in personnel work   Voters in Hanoi’s Ba Dinh and Hoan Kiem districts have shown their special interest in personnel work ahead of the 12th National Party Congress and the elections for the 14th National Assembly (NA) and People’s Councils at all levels. At a meeting with Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong on December 8, they said that NA deputies and Party Central Committee members should be those who set examples of solidarity in their agencies and units. Given Vietnam’s participation in many new-generation trade agreements which offer both opportunities and challenges to the country, the voters underlined the need to make thorough preparations in human resources to avoid lagging behind. They also gave opinions on pressing issues such as hospital overload, environmental pollution, food hygiene safety, corruption and wastefulness. Regarding national territorial sovereignty, the public suggested accelerating border demarcation and marker planting, firmly safeguarding the national land and sea sovereignty, and supporting fishermen’s activities at sea. Expressing their delight at outcomes of the recent 10 th sitting of the 13 th National Assembly, especially the Q& A session, they noted their hope that the resolutions and codes approved at the meeting will soon be brought into life, and that the Party and State will make major decisions to bring the country forward. Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong stated that to develop the country, each Party member must set examples to ensure a strong Party and a pure political system. He stressed the need to develop a modern, high-productivity and competitive economy as it plays a central role in the national construction and development. The hard work lies in the realisation of resolutions, he said, calling for joint efforts by the Party, people and army in performing the task. HCMC voters express food safety worries to President Food hygiene and safety and the level of public debts were two major concerns voters in HCM City's District 4 expressed during their meeting with State President Truong Tan Sang and the city's National Assembly members on Sunday. Nguyen Trong Nhuong told Sang that he was greatly worried at seeing people use prohibited agents in cattle and vegetable farming, and since it would affect people's health, the Government should take steps to stop it. Authorities should enforce the Law on Food Hygiene and Safety from the farm to the processing plant, and top leaders should be held accountable in places where unsafe food is found, he said. Another voter, Chung Cuong Sanh, said he was disappointed with the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development's reply to a question about food hygiene and safety at the recent session of the National Assembly. After hearing from the public, the President said food safety is among the top issues concerning people, admitting the situation is becoming increasingly serious despite regular inspection by authorities. "We need to find solutions for this. Without that, it will affect the people." Voters also expressed their opinions about the rising public debts. Le Ngoc Long called for public debts to be monitored closely lest the situation worsened. Pham Thi Bach Tuyet expressed unhappiness about the construction of lavish office buildings by many administrations amid the rising debts even as living conditions in rural areas remained bad. Sang said the country's GDP grew by 6 per cent annually and public debts by 18 – 20 per cent, and said local governments should reconsider their expenditure. He blamed the rise in public debts to poor investments, but said it was a complex issue. "I realise the [import] issue, but it is not simple to curb the growth in public debt because we have many projects in need of investment." PM hails new rural development drive over past five years Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has hailed the national target programme on new rural development for becoming a nationwide mass campaign since its launch five years ago. The positive achievements gained will lay the groundwork for the drive to reap more fruits in the next five years, he was speaking to a conference in Hanoi on December 8 reviewing the programme from 2010-2015 and outlining its 2016-2020 tasks. Mentioning the goal of recognising 50 percent of the communes nationwide as new-style rural areas between 2016 and 2020, he appealed for fine-tuning policies and raising awareness of the campaign among the Party units, authorities and the entire political system, considering it as a major and regular political task. Simultaneously, it is crucial to continue pooling all possible resources for the drive while improving the capacity of relevant staff, he added. The leader also requested more attention to achieving criteria for road and waterway infrastructure, improving workforce in rural areas in tandem with agriculture restructuring, cultural development, environment protection, and social security, order and safety. Speaking at the event, National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung said the entire political system must have not only high determination but also concrete actions towards the rural areas, where 70 percent of the population is living. He also asked for taking farmer-oriented approaches to planning, production, infrastructure, health care, culture and education. In a report delivered by Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development and permanent deputy head of the Central Steering Committee of the National Target Programme on New Rural Development Cao Duc Phat, 1,300 communes have been recognised as meeting the new-style rural area criteria, or 14.5 percent of the total, as of November 2015. At the district level, 11 have been accorded the status, including those in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Quang Ninh, Nam Dinh, Lam Dong, Dong Nai and Hau Giang. Another eight districts and townships have submitted papers to seek the recognition. The average annual income per capita hits 24.4 million VND (1,100 USD), a 1.9-fold increase from 2010. The National Target Programme on New Rural Development, launched in 2010, sets 19 criteria for new rural areas covering infrastructure, production, living standards, income and culture, among others. One must have at least 75 percent of its communes meeting all the 19 criteria in order to receive the new rural area title.- More efforts needed for judicial reform: Minister Minister of Justice Ha Hung Cuong called for greater efforts to drive the legal and judicial reform in the future, stressing the necessity to rally all resources and political determination for the work. Speaking at the 11th Legal Partnership Forum in Hanoi on December 8, the Minister highlighted the outcomes the country has made in reforming its legal and judicial system and ensuring human and civil rights. Vietnam has become a middle income country, with increasing position and prestige in the region and the world, he said. The Minister expressed his belief that reports and experience shared at the forum will be valuable information, supporting Vietnam in outlining appropriate measures to effectively carry out its legal and judicial reform strategies and enforce strictly laws and codes recently ratified by the National Assembly. Pratibha Mehta, UN Resident Coordinator to Vietnam and Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Vietnam, said the forum is a crucial channel informing new developments Vietnam has achieved in its legal and judicial reform. The forum focuses on the UN universal periodic review ( UPR), which helps countries perform fully their duties and commitments related to human rights, as well as improve their capacity in enforcing human rights through consultancy, technical assistance and experience sharing, she stressed. During the forum, representatives from the Central Steering Committee for Judicial Reform reviewed the implementation of the Politburo’ Resolution on judicial reform strategy in 2005-2015. Meanwhile, participants from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs presented a master plan on implementing recommendations accepted by Vietnam under the UPR. As part of a joint project between Vietnam and the UNDP on enhancing legal access and rights protection in the country, the forum was attended by representatives from the Party’s commissions, the Supreme People’s Court, the Ministry of Justice, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and those from Vietnam’s development partners and non-governmental organisations, who focused their discussions on priorities of Vietnam’s legal and judicial reform process. The event contributed to further promoting cooperation between Vietnam and international partners in the field.- Deputy Defence Minister hosts Ukrainian veterans Deputy Defence Minister Senior Lieutenant General Truong Quang Khanh hosted a Ukrainian veteran delegation in Hanoi on December 8. During the reception, the Deputy Minister underscored that Vietnam always remembers and appreciates immense spiritual and material support from socialist countries, including Ukraine, for Vietnam during war-time. Such support was one of the factors contributing to the triumph of Vietnam’s Revolution, he added. He hoped that during the visit, the Ukrainian veterans will meet and share precious experience with officials and militants of the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA), contributing to bolstering mutual understanding. For their part, the guests thanked the Vietnamese Government and the Ministry of Defence for facilitating their visit. They showed their great admiration for the Vietnamese people’s achievements in nation-building and defence. During the visit, the veterans will visit some VPA units and tourist attractions. Workshop reviews NA’s 70-year formation and development Theoretical lessons on the formation and development of Vietnam’s National Assembly (NA) from 1946 to present were reviewed at a seminar in Hanoi on December 8, as part of activities celebrating the 70th anniversary of the first general NA election (January 6, 1946 - 2016). With the themes “Looking Back on 70 years of Formation and Development at the NA of Vietnam" and “Promoting the Role of the NA in the Process of Turning Vietnam into a Modern Industrialised Country”, the event also discussed opportunities and challenges facing the NA in the coming period. In his opening speech, Vice NA Chairman Uong Chu Luu recalled the first general NA election 70 years ago, which marked the first time the Vietnamese people elected their own official representative agency. Over its seven decades of development, the NA has proved itself as the embodiment of the nation’s great unity, contributing to the struggles for national liberation, unification, construction and development. Luu highlighted the significance of the seminar, saying that it offers scientists and managers a venue to discuss and evaluate achievements and contributions made by the NA to national construction and defence. During the event, participants also analysed challenges facing the legislature in the context of the enforcement of the 2013 Constitution and the country’s increasing integration, thus putting forward orientations and measures to fine-tune the NA’s organisation and operation in its next tenures. Associate Professor Bui Xuan Duc from the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee stressed the need to strengthen democracy in all NA activities, including elections. National Assembly Office Chairman Nguyen Hanh Phuc said t he NA needs to continue its renovation to ensure effective implementation of the 2013 Constitution, relevant laws and the legal system, helping the country become a modern industrialised nation. Delegates also analysed valuable experience in the organisation and operation of the NA as a basis for implementing its functions in legislation, supervision and decisions on the country’s crucial issues. VNA/VNS